Automatic shut-off for typecasting machines



Unifed SewPanfO AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FOR TYPECASTING MACHINES William F.Scheffler and Ralph L. Skinner, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 29, 1952, Serial No. 279,337 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) Thisinvention relates to a means to automatically shut-off the drivingmotors of automatic type casting machines, such as those which are knownin the trade as linotype or intertype machines. The invention can alsoapply to a photostatic type of machine in which the various letters arephotographed instead of cast in metal.

In machines of the above type, there is an electrical motor which drivesthe various shafts and other mechanisms of the machine and it is normalpractice to leave the motor running at all times, even though themachine is not actually in use. This causes excessive wear on the movingparts of the machine, resulting in costly repairs.

An object of our invention is to provide a novel automatic shut-ott fortype casting or photographing machines which will automatically shut-offthe machine after a predetermined length of time, providing that themachine is not in use. As long as the machine is in use, our automaticshut-off device will remain inoperative.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel automatic shut-offdevice for type casting machines and the like which can be quickly andeasily mounted on these machines without altering the construction oroperation of the machines in any substantial manner.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an automaticshut-off device of the character stated, which is simple inconstruction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which can bereadily applied to existing machines of the type casting orphotographing class.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a type casting orphotographing machine with our automatic shut-off applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of our automatic shut-olf.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of our automatic shut-oil with the coverremoved and showing the switch in the open or off position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the switch mechanism andshowing the switch in the closed or on position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates atype casting machine of the general class known in the trade as alinotype or an intertype machine. In these machines there is a shaft 2mounted immediately in front of the keyboard 3. On each end of thisshaft there are attached assembling elevator levers 4 and 4.

Our automatic shut-olf 5 is mounted on the side of the machine 1 andpreferably adjacent the assembling elevator lever 4 and operates inconjunction with this lever, as will be further described.

Our automatic shut-off comprises a housing 6, including a cover or faceplate 7. The housing 6 is attached to the side of the type castingmachine in a suitable manner by means of appropriate bolts or the like,and in the position shown in Figure 1. Within the housing 6 is providedan electrical clock mechanism 8 of the usual and well known type used inthe trade. In other words, this clock mechanism is an automatic startingand continuously rotating clock which includes a driven shaft 9, whichis preferably the minute hand shaft of the clock 8.

A sleeve 10 is journalled on the shaft 9 and there is a frictionaldriving connection between the shaft 9 and the sleeve 10. In otherWords, as the shaft 9 is rotated, it tends to drive the sleeve 10.However, the sleeve 10 can be held stationary relative to shaft 9, or itcan be reversed in direction to the direction of the rotation of theshaft 9 in a manner to be subsequently described. Thus, there is aclutch-like connection between the shaft 9 and the sleeve 10. A cam 11is lixedly mounted on the sleeve 10 and this cam is formed with a recessor notch 12, which cooperates with the actuating finger 13 of the switch14. The switch 14 is mounted adjacent to the cam 11 and the switchpoints 15 are connected through the leads 16 to a switch block 17. Theswitch block 17 is provided with a power socket 18 and a second socket19 to which the motor (not shown) of the type setting machine isconnected. The type of double socket shown is again usual and well knownin the electrical art.

From an examination of Figures 3 and 4, it will be evident that when thecam 11 is so rotated as to press against the nger 13, the switch points15 will be closed. This closes the current to the socket 19, thusstarting the motor of the type setting machine. When the cam 11 is sorotated so that the linger 13 can move into the recess 12 of the cam (asshown in Figure 4) then the switch points 15 are opened and the circuitis broken so that the motor of the type setting machine is stopped.

An arm 20 projects from a hub 21 and this hub is iixedly attached to thesleeve 10. This attachment can be the set screw 22. The arm 20 projectsover and can be engaged by the lever 4 as that lever is depressed by theoperator of the machine. In operating a linotype, intertype or similarmachine, the operator depresses the lever 4 at frequent intervals, andeach time that the ever 4 is depressed at its forward end, the rear ofthat lever will push the arm 20 upwardly to the position shown in dottedlines in Figures 2 and 3.

In the raised position of the lever 20 the cam 11 will be moved to theposition shown in Figure 3 so that the switch 15 is closed, which meansthat the motor of the type setting machine will be operating. The clockmechanism tends to move the arm 20 downwardly in the direction shown bythe arrow in Figure 2, and if the arm moves to a substantiallyhorizontal position, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, then the notch 12 ofthe cam 11 will have moved to a position so that the finger 13 candepress into the recess, thus opening the contact 15 of the switch,thereby automatically shutting off the motor of the type settingmachine. If this occurs, when the operator returns and wishes to againuse the machine, it is only necessary to depress the lever 4, thispushes the arm 20 upwardly as previously described, thereby closing theswitch contacts 15 and the motor of the type setting machine is againstarted. It will thus be evident that as long as the operator continuesto use the machine, which means that the lever 4 will be frequentlydepressed and at short intervals of time, then the arm 20 will becontinuously held in its raised position, which means that the switch 15is closed and the type setting machine continues to operate.

The clock mechanism 8, of course, is actuated electrically when theswitch 15 is closed. That is, the clock mechanism tends to rotate thearm '20 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, andindependent entirely of the driving motor of the type setting machine. YY

We prefer that the Aarm'20 shall move from its raised position (in whichthe type vsetting machine is in operation) to its lowered or horizontalposition (in which the type setting machine is inoperative in a periodof approximately three minutes, more or less). That is to say, if themachine is left alone without being operated for a period of 3 or 4minutes approximately, then our shutoff device will automatically shutoft the motor of the type setting machine.

Having described our invention, we claim:

`1. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operablelever means on said machine, of a shut-E means comprising an arm, meansrotatably mounting said arm, drive means connected to the arm to rotatesaid arm to engage the manually operable lever means, switch means, andmeans operatively connecting the switch means and said arm, said lastnamed means holding the switch means open in one position of the arm andclosing the switch means in another position of said arm.

2. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-ott means comprising an arm, a housing,means rotatably mounting the arm in said housing, drive means in thehousing connected to the arm to rotate said arm to engage the manuallyoperable means, switch means, and means operatively connecting theswitch means and said arm, said last named means holding the switchmeans open in one position of the arm and closing the switch means inanother position'of said arm.

3. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oit means comprising an arm, meansrotatably mounting said arm, an electrical motor driving the arm torotate said arm to engage the manually operable lever means, switchmeans, and means operatively connecting the switch means and said arm,said last named means holding the switch means open in one position ofthe arm and closing the switch means in another position of said arm.

4. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oit means comprising an arm, a housing,means rotatably mounting the arm in said housing, an electrical motormounted in the housing and operatively connected to the arm to rotatesaid arm to engage the manually operable lever means, switch means, andmeans operatively connecting the switch means and said arm, said lastnamed means holding the switch means open in one position of the arm andclosing the switch means in another position of said arm.

5. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oil means comprising an arm, meansrotatably mounting said arm, drive` means connected to the arm to rotatesaid arm to engage the manually operable lever means, switch means, anda cam attached to said arm and operatively connected to the switchmeans, said cam holding the switch means open in one position of the armand closing the switch means in another position of said arm.

6. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oi means comprising an "arm, means'rotatably mcmnting said arm, drive means connected to the arm to rotatesaid arm to engage the manually operable lever means, clutch meansbetween the arm and said drive means, switch means and means operativelyconnected to the switch means and said arm, said last named meansholding the switch means open inone position of thearm and closing theswitch means in another position of said arm.

7. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oft means comprising an arm, meansrotatably mounting said arm, drive means connected to the arm to rotatesaid arm to engage the manually operable lever means, clutch meansbetween the arm and said drive means, switch means, and a cam attachedto said arm and operatively connected to the switch means, said camholding the switch means open in one position of the arm and closing theswitch means in another position of said arm.

8. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-off means comprising a housing, anelectrical Vmotor in said housing, a shaft driven by said last namedmotor, said shaft protruding from the housing, an arm mounted on saidshaft and rotated thereby to engage the manually operable lever means,switch means and means operatively connecting the switch means and saidarm, said last named means Yholding the switch means open in oneposition of the arm and closing the switch means in another position ofsaid arm.

9. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operable levermeans on said machine, of a shut-oit means comprising a housing, anelectrical motor in said housing, a shaft driven by said last namedmotor, said shaft protruding from the housing, an arm mounted on saidshaft and rotated thereby to engage themanually operable lever means,switch means, a cam attached to said arm and operatively connected tothe switch means, said cam .holding the switch means open in oneposition of the arm and closing the switch means in another position ofsaid arm.

l0. In combination with a type casting machine, a manually operablelever means on said machine, of a shut-off means comprising a housing,an electrical motor in said housing, a shaft driven by said last namedmotor, said shaft protruding from the housing, an arm mounted on saidshaft and rotated thereby to engage the manually operable Vlever means,clutch means between the arm and said drive means, switch means andmeans operatively connecting the switch means and said arm, said lastnamed means holding the switch means open in one position of the arm andclosing the switch means in another position of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,119,967 Landsiedel Dec. 8, 1914 1,406,075 Pierson Feb. 7, 19221,474,342 Anderson Nov. 20, 1923 1,735,540 Lux Nov. 12, 1929 1,831,605Porter Nov. 10, 1931 2,386,009 Smith Oct. 2, 1945 2,475,666 Homan July12, 1949 2,674,664 Clubb et al Apr. 6, 1954

